Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan: good-neighborly relations are filled with new content

22.02.2018

A press conference dedicated to Turkmenistan’s foreign policy activities in 2017 and international events planned for the current year was held at the Embassy of this country in Uzbekistan.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan Shiri Shiriyev noted that 2017 has become a historic period in strengthening and development of traditionally friendly and good-neighborly relations between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Permanent contacts at the highest level brought the Uzbek-Turkmen cooperation to a qualitatively new level and enriched it with practical content.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid his first foreign visit, on 6-7 March, 2017, to Turkmenistan. The summit gave a powerful impetus to development of bilateral cooperation and created new constructive foundations for long-term strategic cooperation in all spheres.

As President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted, friendship, good neighborliness, strong trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation, mutual understanding in foreign policy do not only meet the interests of the two countries, but also act as an important factor in ensuring stability and security in Central Asia and around it.

Strengthening regional security has an important place in Uzbek-Turkmen cooperation. On this issue, views of the two countries are unchanged and consistent. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are supporting the elimination of conflict situations, good neighborliness, creation of transparent and effective mechanisms for strengthening peace and sustainable development in Central Asia on the basis of mutual consideration of interests. In this process, special attention will be paid to the situation in neighboring Afghanistan, the only stabilizing way of which is the national dialogue through peaceful, political means. At the same time, international community, first of all, the UN, should use every opportunity for establishing peace in Afghanistan.

The two countries are focusing on such important global issues, as sustainable development, energy security, international transport and transit links, ecology and environmental protection along with peace and security.

The transport sector is one of the priorities of the cooperation. Mutually integrated roads and railways of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are also performing a transit function for the third countries.

Our countries are actively involved in large-scale energy projects in the region. It should be noted that Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan – Kazakhstan – China gas pipeline has a capacity of 25 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are supporting each other in the international arena. In particular, they are closely cooperating within the framework of the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and other international structures.

Uzbek and Turkmen people have common history and culture, similar traditions and customs. This closeness serves as solid foundation for development of cooperation.

The historical ties of friendship and common cultural roots of our nations serve to strengthen mutual understanding and develop fruitful cooperation between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.